The present invention relates to a system for transmitting a digital video signal and recording the received video signal. More particularly, the present invention greatly extends the range of use of a digital signal recording/reproducing system by vastly reducing the recording time by transmitting a video signal in a compressed form, and further extends the range of use of a digital signal recording/reproducing system by making the number of signals to be recorded and a recording/ reproducing time variable.
As an example of a digital magnetic recording/reproducing system (hereinafter referred to as VTR), a D2 format VTR is conventionally known. In such a conventional digital VTR, the elongation or shortening of a reproducing time is possible by using variable-speed reproduction. However, the prior art reference does not at all disclose high-speed recording in which a recording time is shortened to l/m, multiple recording in which a plurality of signals are recorded, and the compression/expansion of a recording/reproducing time.
The above-mentioned conventional digital VTR has a feature that a high quality reproduction is attained and there is no deterioration caused by dubbing. However, the shortening of a dubbing time is not taken into consideration. Therefore, for example, in the case where a two-hour program is to be recorded, two hours are required for dubbing, as well. Thus, inconveniences are encountered in using the conventional system. Also, the multiplexing of recording signals is not taken into consideration. Therefore, for example, when two kinds of programs are to be simultaneously recorded or reproduced, two VTR's are required, which proves to be another inconvenience is using the conventional system.